Unlocking means for car-couplings.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

C. H. IOMLINSON. UNLOOKING MEANS FOR GAR COUPLINGS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-12, 1905.

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PATENTBD MAY 22, 1906.

C. H. TOMLINSON. UNLOOKING MEANS FOR OAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-12, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOMLINSON COUPLER COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

UNLOCKING MEANS FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22. 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs H/TOMLIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unlocking Means for Car-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to. improvements in means for unlocking car-couplers or for throwing the locking device to the unlocked position.

While my improvement-is shown in connection with the car-coupler set forth in my application, Serial No. 245,043, filed February 10, 1905, it must be understood that its use is not limited to this special construction, but may be employed with other styles of draw-heads'to equal advantage.

My object is to produce an unlocking device composed of a crank-shaft and connecting-rod, which shall be adapted for use with radiating draw-bars or draw-bars whose rear extremities are pivotally connected with the car, whereby the bars are allowed to swing as is necessary in making short turns, as in street-car service in cities. I

My improved construction, as shown in the drawings, consists of a rock-shaft whose axis intersects the axis or pivotal center of the draw-bar and is provided with a crank to which is attached the rear extremity of the connecting-rod, whose forward extremity is connected with the unlocking device in, proper operative relation. By virtue of this arrangement or an arrangement approximating that just stated the forward extremity of the connecting-rod or that attached to the unlocking device describes an are parallel or approximately parallel with the are described by a point on the draw-head during the swinging or radiating movement of the latter, thus preventing any tendency to impart an unlocking movement to the unlocking device during the swinging or radiating movement of the draw-head. The forward extremity of the connecting-rod is preferably so connected with theunlocking device as to allow a small amount of play to compensate for any possible inaccuracy or variation in the construction or position of the operating parts.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, as well as the function which it is intended to perform, Iwill proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a single draw-bar equipped with my improvements, the top of the car being indicated by dotted lines. This is a view looking downward from the plane indicated by the broken line 1 1 inFig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing afragment of the car in full lines. Fig. 3 is a top view showing two abutting draw heads similarly equipped, but with -my improved device, as well as the draw-bars, partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through two drawbars with all the parts in the relative position shown in Fig. 3.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a draw-bar equipped with a spring-actuated coupling device 6, having a hook-shaped head 7, adapted'to interlock with the corresponding coup ling device of the opposite draw-head. Each draw-head is provided with an unlockingcam 8, secured to a spindle 9 and adapted to act simultaneously on both coupling devices 6 for uncoupling purposes when the spindle is properly manipulated. To this spindle 9 is secured a lever 10, to one of the extremities ofwhich is pivotally connected a pawl 12,

adapted-to engage an offset 24, formed in the abutting extremity of the opposite drawhead, whereby when the lever is actuated to throw the coupling device 6 to the unlocked position the coupling devices willbe held in the uncoupled position until the cars separate or are drawn apart, in which event the spring 13, acting on each coupling device or hook, will return the unlocking-lever 10 to its normal position, or that shown on the left of Fig. 3.

The lever 10 may be said to be composed of three arms A, B, and C. The arm B is provided with an opening at its extremity, as shown at D, into whicha hook-shaped tool -ment on the lever-arm. the rod 14 remote from the lever is loosely (not shown) may be inserted from the outside of the car when. it is desired to manipulate the leverv in this. manner for the purpose of throwing it to the position shown in Fig. 3.

connected with a crank 16, formed in a rockshaft 17, journaled in suitable bearings 18, attached tothe bottom of the car 19, the

'axis of the-shaft. 17 intersecting the axis of the draw-bar'20, which is pivotally connected with the car, as shown at 21. The shaft 17 rotrudes slightly beyond the vertical wal of the car and'is providedwith a handcrank 22 for manipulating purposes. if the shaft -17 be turned in a direction to cause the rod 22 to move as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and'S it is evident that the lever 10 will be actuated to cause the pawl12 to move up the inclined surface 23 of the opposite draw-bar anddrop downwardly to engagement with the offset 24, whereby the lever will be held in the adjusted position. During this movement of the lever the spindle 9 and its corresponding cam 8 are actuated to separate the coupling devices 6 or throw them to the position illustrated in Fig. 4, whereby the coupling devices are disengaged, permitting the cars to separate. The function of the pawl 12 is to hold the unlockinglever'in the adjusted position or that corresponding with the unlocked position of the coupling devices until the cars separate.

For a more detailed description of this pawl reference is made to the aforesaid application. It may be stated, however, that the pawl is pivoted to the lever just forward of the fulcrum ofthe latter, as shown at 24, whereby it is allowed to swing vertically. This pawl, however, has no lateral swing, and therefore will hold. the lever in the adjusted position when the pawl has dropped to engagement with the offset 24, as heretofore ex lained.

.-t will be understood that as the draw-bar swings upon its pivot 21. and between the stops 26 the movement of the pin 15, which connectsthe rod 14 with the lever, will be in an are parallel or approximately parallel with that described by any point of the drawwardly of this axis, there will be a slight variation in the travel of the pin 15 from the path ust described, However, by provid- Now ing the extremity E of the lever A with an elongated opening, in which the pin 15 is free to sl1de,.th1s slight variation in the are described by the pin 15 is compensated for and the parts are a l maintained in operative re lation and in the proper relative position during the swinging movement of the rod 14 and the draw-bar.

It must be understood that the inner or rear extremity of the rod 14 must be loosely connected with the crank 16, whereby the rod is allowed the necessary swinging movement to correspond with the swing of the draw bar, while the crank-shaft 17 remains stationary.

It will be readily understood that other forms of unlockin devices may be manipulated by virtue oi the construction and arrangement of the devices just explained. It must therefore be understood that the invention is not limited to the special construction of draw-bar, coupling devices, and un locking-lever shown in the drawings and heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a rotating draw-bar and an uncoupling device,.of a shaft journaled to cause its axis to intersect, or a proximately intersect, the axis or center 0 motion of a swinging draw-bar, and a rodconnecting the shaft and uncoupling device of the draw. bar in operative relation, substantially as described. I

2. In unlocking devices for carcouplers, the combination with a rotating draw-bar and an uncoupling device, of a shaft journaled to cause its axis to intersect, or approximately intersect, the axis or center of motion of the swinging draw-bar, and means for connecting the shaft and the coupling device of the draw-bar in o erative relation, substantially as describe 3. In unlocking devices for car-couplers, the combination with a radiating draw-bar and uncoupling device, of a rock-shaft journaled to causeits axis to intersect, or approximately intersect, the axis or center of motion of the swinging draw-bar, the rock-shaft having a crank and a rod loosely connected with the crank at one extremity, its opposite ex tremity being connected with the uncoupling device, substantially as described.

4. In unlocking mechanism for car-couplers, the combination with the radiating draw-bar and uncoupling device, of a rockshaft journaled to cause its axis to intersect, or approximately intersect, the axis or center of motion of a swingin draw-bar, an unlocking device, a rod loosely connected at its respective extremities with the rock-shaft and draw-bar respectively.

5. In mechanism of the class described the combination with a radiating draw-bar and coupling device, of a rock-shaft j ournaled to In testimony whereof I affix my signature intgrsect thglaxis of the swinging dgaw-bar, in presence of two witnesses.

an a suite e 0 erative connection etween the rock-shaft 5nd the coupling device, for I CHARLES TOMLINSON uncoupling purposes whereby the parts will maintain their relation during the swinging movement of the draw-bar.

Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, OTTO E. HoDmoK. 

